Author Archives

Andrew Williams

At Home with the Homeless

Harris’ Plans for the Unhoused—or the Lack Thereof A few months ago, I wrote a column about Donald Trump’s plan to deal with the issue of homelessness, which can be summed up […]

Candidate Interviews: Season 5 Release of the Slice of Orange NOC Podcast

This election season, the Slice of Orange North Orange County Podcast partners with the Fullerton Observer on candidate interviews! Also, you are invited to a Meet the Candidates event at Fullerton College […]

High School Students are Promoting Healthy Habits with the Fullerton Coyotes Club

As fall approaches and the weather becomes bearable, it is the perfect time of the year to get outside and go on runs. Troy High School students Dylan Ardaya and Ethan Han […]

Author of “The Latino Century” Speaks at Fullerton College

Mike Madrid held a “meet and greet” at Fullerton College on September 23, gracing students and community members with an impactful lecture on his book “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority […]

Balance & Change: Adjusting to a New Season

I love the fall. I love it when it gets cooler, when we need a blanket to curl up with, and when snuggling is extra warm and fuzzy. I love all of […]

His Three Daughters: A Hit and a Miss

His Three Daughters: A Hit and a Miss This is not Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” or Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters,” yet screenwriter/director Azazel Jacobs takes on themes dealt with in […]

Healthy Awareness: Understanding & Preventing Suicide

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 20-34, according to the American Psychological Strategic Alliance Program (2024). It is the point of no return. There are […]

International Day of Sign Languages

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 430 million people, or about 5% of the world population, possess some sort of disabling hearing impairment. Because these impairments can limit the ability of […]

Analysis: Candidate Performance at LWV’s City Council Forum

Overall, weak answers, a lot of canned or superficial responses from candidates, and a lot of “Me-tooism” at the League of Women Voters forum. But it was still better than the Collaborative’s […]

Local History: What Was Fullerton Like 100 Years Ago?

Building Boom Fullerton’s population doubled from 4,415 in 1920 to 10,860 by 1930. This prompted a building boom with iconic new buildings being built, such as the Fox Theater (1925), the […]

CSUF Students Protest University Convocation Amid Refusal to Divest from Israel

As California State University, Fullerton celebrated new president Ronald S. Rochon at its annual Convocation on September 19, the student group Titan Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) held a demonstration demanding […]

The Agony of a Pro-Palestinian Zionist

There’s tension in my title. With all the killing, suffering, hopelessness and despair, my agony isn’t central. Yet, it drives my effort to understand the complexities that cause our moral compasses to […]

Despite Illness, Fred Jung Continues His Campaign

City Councilmember Fred Jung revealed in a podcast that he has cancer. The ChamberTalk with North Orange County Chamber podcast episode was released in August of this year, and the news of […]

Free Friday Night Concerts: Fullerton Night Live!

The City of Fullerton has initiated a fun and engaging new event! Known as “Fullerton Night Live,” these mini-concerts occur at generally unknown locations around the city, with artists representing all types […]

3 Books About Fullerton You Need to Read

There’s more to Fullerton than meets the eye once you begin reading books about the city. Here are a few hand-selected books: Fullerton: The Boom Years by Mudrick, Richey & Thomas (2015) […]

Gavin Newsom’s Miscalculation on the Unhoused Issue

When the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Grants Pass case earlier this year, governors in red and blue states heaved a sigh of relief. Why? Because the Court had […]

Follow the Money: Ballot Measures Elections 2024

FOLLOW THE MONEY: Groups Backing the Statewide Ballot Measures Candidates in any given election get much media attention, but the ballot measures often go unnoticed. “A ballot measure is a piece of proposed […]

What’s On Your Ballot? A Presentation by Jodi Balma

Professor Jodi Balma presented to a packed audience at the Democrats of North Orange County (DNOC) meeting on September 5th. The political science professor from Fullerton College covered North Orange County’s […]

An Interview with a Troy Alumni Who Built ‘MathGPT’ at Cornell

Yanni Kouloumbis, a Fullerton resident who graduated from Parks Junior High and Troy High School, is now an AI innovator. Having been involved in robotics since junior high, thanks to his […]

Fullerton Collaborative’s Candidate Forum – A Summary

A question regarding the licensed sale of cannabis in Fullerton drew disagreement among the five candidates for city council who answered questions at the Collaborative meeting on September 9: “If elected, would […]

Video Observer: Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton Helps Youth in Community

The Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton has been around since 1952 and is still keeping the community engaged today. I recently had a chance to interview Brett Ackerman, Chief Executive […]

Balance & Change: Pronouns & Choices

Pronouns have become a very hot topic. People can be offended by being asked to use something different than the traditional pronouns in the traditional ways. I have had an issue using […]

REAGAN: a Hit & a Miss

Ardent fans of Ronald Reagan and his political career both as Governor of California and as President of the United States will enjoy this film. Director Sean McNamara and screenwriter Howard Klausner […]

Fullerton’s Measure L & N Explained

Fullerton elementary and high school districts have new school facilities bonds on November’s election ballot. Facilities bonds allow local school districts to quickly raise large amounts of money needed to build long-lasting, […]

Parks & Recreation Report: September 9, 2024

Commissioners Present: Susan Rhie, Oscar Valadez, Erik Wehn, Angela Lindstrom, Jozef Maldonado Absent: Adrian Meza, Doug McKendry Chair Lindstrom began with a request for the nomination of a third member to join […]

Healthy Awareness: Depression & Suicide [Suicide Awareness Month]

I recently read Matt Haig’s book, The Midnight Library, in which the main character, Nora Seed, feels that death would be a relief because of all her disappointments and regrets. She did […]

Juliette Wang: Fullerton’s Baking Star

13-year-old business owner Juliette Wang recently won several awards for her baked goods at the Orange County Fair. The Fullerton Observer formerly covered Wang’s online business, jhwsweets88, and now she is propelling […]

CSUF Students Advance the Palestinian Divestment Fight Statewide

From Cal Poly Humboldt to UC San Diego, students across the state—and across the country—have been fighting for their universities and local governments to stop funding the ongoing genocide in Gaza. While […]

Commentary: Fullerton Collaborative’s Candidate Forum

The Fullerton Collaborative’s candidate forum is available for viewing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbt-s-MxsZk (click here) The Fullerton Collaborative’s candidate forum on September 9th was not a useful way to learn much about the […]

The Debate Debacle: A Swiftian Analysis

Halloween came very early this year with a living orange Jaco-lantern trying to frighten Americans with the specter of roving Haitians petnapping and eating the dogs and cats of Springfield, Ohio’s lonely […]

Follow the Money 2024: Who’s Funding School Board Candidates?

Fullerton School District Candidates – Follow the Money Information accurate as of September 12, 2024 from candidate-required filings available on the OC Registrar of Voters website https://ocvote.gov/ The Fullerton Observer is compiling campaign finance information, candidate […]